An active holiday in Namibia

If you’re after an active holiday in Namibia, you’re in for a mind-boggling array of choices: everything from hiking, mountain biking and sand boarding to river canoeing, ocean kayaking, mountain climbing, animal tracking and quad biking.

Swakopmund is an ideal base for an active holiday, as the coastal town offers a huge range of outdoors activities nearby, including sandboarding down towering dunes, skydiving over the desert, kayaking with seals in the ocean and quad biking.

Credit | Cheetah Ecolodge

There are hiking trails all over the country but the most famous is the 85-kilometre, five-day hike in the Fish River Canyon, a route which is only open between May and September. You’ll need to be self-sufficient for the hike, carrying your own sleeping gear and food and the terrain is tough going, so it’s not for the faint hearted. A fantastic wildlife hike is the four-day Waterberg Hike in Waterberg Pleateau Park (which is open from April to November) where you can spot rare roan and sable antelope, as well as giraffe, kudu and hyena amongst the dramatic red sandstone cliffs of the park. For an easier hiking option, there’s the Tok Tokkie Trail, three-day slackpacking trail in the NamibRand Nature Reserve, where the walking is easy and your luggage is transported for you to comfortable outdoor camps that are set up for you at the end of your walking day (complete with cold drinks, gourmet food and hot water for washing).

Canoeing on the Orange River for a few days in southern Namibia is a perfect choice for a relaxing active holiday for the whole family. Several outfitters offer similar multi-day paddling trips which include guides and meals, meaning all you need to do is paddle, swim, and sleep under the stars.

Namibia is a mecca for mountain bikers, with an endless array of routes that traverse some of the country’s most spectacular terrain and take you through wilderness concessions where you may be lucky enough to spot rhinos and elephants from the saddle. There are strenuous multi-day cycles suited for experienced, fit riders through remote and little visited areas such as the Kunene Region and Damaraland, but if you’re just looking to cycle for a few hours, there are many options for short trails on private nature reserves dotted around the country.

For rock and mountain climbing enthusiasts, Namibia’s rugged mountains have something for everyone, from the Spitzkoppe, where you can tackle “Namibia’s Matterhorn”, the country’s most challenging peak summit, as well as clamber over sport-climbing routes, to the Brandberg, where you can do a multi-day summit of Namibia’s highest point and see ancient rock art along the way, and the choices presented by thirty different routes in the Erongo Mountains. All three are found in the same area of Damaraland north of Swakopmund.

In Namibia it’s easy to combine an active holiday with wildlife experiences by tracking animals on foot. Take your pick from the free-roaming desert rhinos and elephants of Damaraland, the cheetahs and leopards of Okonjima Nature Reserve or rare and elusive pangolins in Erindi Private Game Reserve.

Having an active holiday in Namibia means you need the right gear: comfortable and sturdy hiking shoes, long lightweight trousers and long-sleeved shirts in neutral colours (so that you don’t stand out in the landscape when tracking animals on foot), and a wide-brimmed hat. A pair of binoculars is a must for game viewing.

The best months for outdoors activities in Namibia are the cooler winter months of May to September. In summer day time temperatures can be brutally hot, and some activities not available, such as the Fish River Canyon hike and the slackpacking hike in the NamibRand Nature Reserve.

We hope to welcome you back to Namibia real soon!

We hope to welcome you back to Namibia real soon

You might also like

The majesty of Sossusvlei
From the towering dunes of Sossusvlei to the German coastal town of Swakopmund and the whales of Walvis Bay, the laidback capital of Windhoek to the shifting sands of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, central Namibia is home to some of the country’s most popular attraction and best adventure activities, making it one of the top areas for travellers.
Etosha…

Damaraland in the spring
Northern Namibia is home to some of Namibia’s greatest wildlife, wildest landscapes and least accessible areas, from the waterholes teeming with animal life in Etosha National Park, to the forbidding dunes of the Skeleton Coast, and the imposing mountains of Damaraland to free-roaming desert rhinos and elephants. Exploring much of northern Namibia spells…

The huge empty spaces and unspoiled wild places of Namibia make you feel like you’re a million miles away from civilisation, which for many people provides the basis for a deeply relaxing holiday.
The best way to have a relaxing holiday in Namibia is to take things slowly. Long drives between distant destinations can be tiring. Instead of trying to cover all of Namibia’s highlights…

It’s advisable to get full travel insurance that includes medical coverage for your Namibia vacation. Make sure that your medical insurance covers you for medical evacuation, as well as any adventure activities you may want to do, such as skydiving, hiking, mountain climbing, sand boarding and quad biking. It’s a good idea to get comprehensive insurance on your rental car too.
...

Since many places that you may end up visiting in Namibia are remote, it’s best to bring along any medication you might need, as well as a comprehensive first aid kit that includes antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antidiarrheal medication, antibacterial ointment, antimalarial tablets, rehydration electrolyte sachets, insect spray and repellent, water purification tablets and…

The Namibia Craft Centre in Windhoek offers a variety of locally produced items
Namibia’s capital city Windhoek has shopping malls and craft markets (the Namibia Crafts Centre is a highlight) where you can buy any clothing items or travel gear you may have forgotten to pack, as well as souvenirs such as baskets, pottery, carvings, art and jewellery, leather goods, to take home.…